Flying Dutchman

noun

1

: a legendary Dutch mariner condemned to sail the seas until Judgment Day

2

: a spectral ship that according to legend haunts the seas near the Cape of Good Hope

Examples of Flying Dutchman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Robin van Persie, the Flying Dutchman The group-stage match between reigning champion Spain and the Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup is remembered as one of the most unexpected one-sided results in the tournament. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 July 2026

Doyle-Murray had a recurring role in the first two seasons of the AMC cult hit Lodge 49 and voiced the Flying Dutchman in multiple SpongeBob projects across TV and video games. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026

Worlds of Fun has a great collection of thrill rides that includes a Huss Troika (Mustang Runner), Huss Enterprise (Zulu), Huss-style Swing Around (Fjord Fjarlane) and Intamin Flying Dutchman. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026

Even the Fort Worth Symphony got on the Wagner-in-concert bandwagon in April 2024, with music director Robert Spano conducting a semistaged Act 1 of Die Walküre, and then a complete Flying Dutchman last April. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 1